2024 Fall Retreat Action Plan

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2024 Fall Retreat Action Plan

Sustaining Movements for Healthy Democracy, People, and Planet

Dear EGAers,

I hope this email finds you and yours in health and strength or recovery as the compounding crises add more urgency to our collective work.

Thanks to so many of you who joined us at this year's Fall Retreat at Skamania in WA! The Retreat was a revelation and foreshadowing of our context as we move through sectoral leadership transitions, political questions and escalating complexities for humans seeking safety, access to nature, climate supportive energy, and democratic use of resources.

We met intentionally in the Pacific Northwest because it is a rich land for reimagining our collective survival. We were graced to partner with Indigenous leaders in the region to learn from their Inter-Tribal, government, as well as our member community, and philanthropy partners who are offering deep support for cooperative climate solutions. We were privileged to learn from cross-sector leaders who are weaving the threads of healthy democracy with a healthy planet, to prepare us for the days, weeks and months ahead.

Now as we settle into the next, EGA offers some lessons learned from the Retreat, in support of your work amongst ongoing global conflict on multiple fronts, devastating climate disasters and long term clean up challenges brimming with consequences for the places and people we hold dear. For your consideration we offer copious resources from the gathering to support your continued strategizing. We encourage you to leverage this resource guide, and connect with each other and partners from our Retreat for greater impact.

As Milton and Helene bring the extremity of our climate’s condition to the fore, we are taking notice of the ways our community members step up to invest in aid efforts for communities, to restore ecosystems, and to protect life. We encourage you to continue using your EGA listserv forum as a resource for aligning your work for impact.

 

In care and concern,

Tamara

 

Tamara Toles O'Laughlin

CEO and President

Environmental Grantmakers Association

EGA is grateful for your presence at the 2024 Fall Retreat! We will be sharing a more detailed recap of Retreat discussions to the listserv following this resource guide. In the meantime, if you have reflections, thoughts, or ideas to share, please take our survey for the 2024 Fall Retreat! Member feedback helps shape future convenings to ensure they best support your work.

Our work will be for nought if we don't have an international approach -Tynesha McHarris, Co-founder of the Black Feminist Fund

Learn more about the Indigenous leaders who are advancing climate and conservation solutions in the Pacific Northwest

At the 2024 Fall Retreat, we were joined by members of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC). CRITFC was formed in 1977 and consists of four tribes, The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and the Nez Perce Tribe. CRITFC brings Tribal views to the forefront of the Columbia River Basin through four primary pillars:

  • Putting fish back in the rivers and protecting watersheds where fish live;
  • Protecting Tribal Treaty fishing rights;
  • Sharing salmon culture;

  • And, providing fisher services.

     

During the mainstage discussion, Aja DeCoteau, the first woman Executive Director of CRITFC, shared about the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI). CBRI is a roadmap aimed at restoring salmon and other fisheries to healthy and abundant levels, upholding commitments to Tribal Nations, and providing affordable and reliable clean power across the Pacific Northwest.

 

Mainstage Speakers from the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative Plenary

[Left to Right]: Tom Iverson, Aja DeCoteau, Corinne Sams, and Jonathan Smith. Photo by AT Media and Analysis

  • Aja DeCoteau is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and has other tribal lineage with the Cayuse, Nez Perce and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.
  • Corinne ‘Cor’ Sams (Cayuse/Walla Walla/Cocopah) is an elected Board of Trustees Member for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR).
  • Jonathan Smith is the Chairman  of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon.
  • Shannon Wheeler is the Chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee (“NPTEC”), and an enrolled member of the Nez Perce Tribe.
  • Tom Iverson is the Regional Coordinator of the Yakama Nation Fisheries.
    • The Yakama Nation Fisheries is a program of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The Fisheries was created in 1983 and has since infused scientific expertise and traditional ecological knowledge to develop projects and partnerships with the goal to restore culturally important fish runs in the Columbia River. 

Learn more about the CRITFC Commissioners.

Mainstage Speakers and Resources

  • Transformative Change (XC) brings the practice of presence to community-based visioning, strategizing and organizing for cohesive and sustainable social transformation. Founder and Senior Fellow to XC is Rev. angel Kyodo williams partnered with EGA for our Mindfulness and Racial Equity POV session and guided us on a reflection of our learnings from the 2023 Fall Retreat in Montgomery, AL.
  • [Connect] and give feedback to Rev. angel here. Please enter the code EGAFALL when prompted.

 

  • Michael Harriot is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, celebrated poet and public historian hailed as "one of the most eloquent writers in America." His NY Times Bestseller Black AF History: The Unwhitewashed Story of America is required reading in at least 10 universities and numerous colleges have adopted his "Race as an Economic Construct" curriculum, which examines social structures using history, data and the laws of supply and demand.

Award-winning journalist, bestselling author, celebrated poet and public historian Michael Harriot. Photo by AT Media and Analysis.

  • Varshini Prakash is the former Executive Director and co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, a movement of young people working to stop climate change, take back our democracy from Big Oil, and elect leaders who will fight for our generation’s health and well-being.
    • Youth-led movements are  a vital component in advancing climate and environment justice. The Youth Climate Justice Fund is a critical driver of global solutions for young people. The fund aims to support young climate justice leaders through trust-based grantmaking, resources, and capacity development.

    • Grassroots organizations play a critical role in developing strong environmental and climate justice movements. The Fund to Build Grassroots Power supports building these vital movements by providing grants to grassroots organizations that are advancing environmental and climate justice within the United States.

       

  • Antonia Juhasz is an award-winning investigative journalist and founder of, (Un)Covering Oil. She brings more than two decades of experience working at the intersection of fossil fuels, climate and environmental justice, and human rights. Learn more about Antonia’s work here.

 

 

  • Tynesha McHarris is the Co-founder of Black Feminist Fund (BFF). BFF aims to increase the resources available to Black feminist movements globally, contributing to strengthening their sustainability and resilience. BFF organizes Black women and gender expansive people working in the sector, and is building a base of Black women donors. Learn more about the Black Feminist Fund here.

Updates from EGA’s Town Hall

At our annual Town Hall, EGA President and CEO, Tamara Toles O’ Laughlin, alongside EGA Board Vice Chair Chung-Wha Hong and EGA Board Member, Louis Gordon, shared updates with the community:

EGA is pleased to introduce our new website and brand! We invite you to explore the new brand in this graphic, and visit ega.org to learn more:

 

EGA launches the Executive Grantmaker Fellowship (EGF) and announces upcoming Next Generation Initiative

The inaugural cohort of the Executive Grantmaker Fellowship (EGF), kicked off at the 2024 Fall Retreat! The EGF is the first-of-its-kind Fellowship tailored to the unique needs and aspirations of environmental grantmakers. The EGF is an 18-month offline and online fellowship to prepare today’s leader in environmental philanthropy, for tomorrow. Learn more here. If you are interested in supporting the EGF or have questions, please reach out to Katharine Millonzi, EGA Strategic Partnerships Director, at kmillonzi@ega.org.

In 2025, EGA will launch a new program called the Next Generation Initiative. We hosted a Next Gen focus group breakfast at the Retreat to gather feedback from members to inform the new initiative.

 

This Next Gen Initiative is intended to build pathways for underserved mid-career professionals working in environmental philanthropy who are looking to expand their knowledge and skills, and to support those to pivot from other sectors into environmental grantmaking. Stay tuned for more information about the Initiative! If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to Michelle Velez, EGA Program Director, at mvelez@ega.org.

 

 

 

 

Follow-Up Readings and Events from the Allyship Training

Ethan Kerr, founder of Breaking the Mold, led our Ally Training for White-identifying members on strategies for navigating challenges and dismantling systems of whiteness, patriarchy, and colonialism in the philanthropic sector. Check out these programs and readings as a follow up to the training.

Upcoming Events

Readings:

At this year’s Fall Retreat, EGA members hosted vital dinners that explored seascape relationships and Native intergenerational leadership.

Seascape Relationships: Relatives, Food, Ecology, and People

Co-Sponsored by First Nations Development Institute and GRACE Communications Foundation, this dinner on the opening night of the retreat, grounded attendees with a sense of place and connection to the land and sea through shared meals around the table.

The Power of a Million New Ideas - Native Intergenerational Leadership

Co-sponsored by the Colorado Plateau Foundation, CEO, Jim Enote and Strategies and Partnerships Associate, Rebekah Chattin, shared  insights and experiences on their Foundation’s  intergenerational approach to leadership and why an intergenerational model is vital to the future of philanthropy.

Dive into EGA’s New Summary of Funding to Aquaculture & Fisheries Report

Published in April 2024, EGA's new Summary of Funding to Aquaculture & Fisheries report is a custom data report that dives deep into over $500 million in Aquaculture & Fisheries grants made between 2016 and 2021, revealing gaps in the geographic and issue focus areas.

Aquaculture and fisheries deeply intersect the issues of ocean health, biodiversity, food systems, climate adaptation, sustainable communities and the livelihoods of Indigenous peoples.

The report examines funding that supports different aquaculture methods and compares funding given to various aspects of sustainable fisheries management.

Access the Aquaculture and Fisheries report 

Members can access the full report by logging into their EGA website account.

 

 

 

 

 

Resources from Site visits

At the Retreat, we deepened our knowledge of the region during interactive Pre-institutes and site visits in the Columbia River Gorge and the surrounding locale:

 

 

  • Hiked  the Columbia River Gorge to further ground in the intentional setting of the retreat and to enjoy the beauty of the Gorge.

 

  • Participated in site visits to the Black Futures Farm and the Black Oregon Land Trust with Blue Sky Funders Forum to learn  how farming and community-based collaboration is a powerful way for people, particularly those from Indigenous communities and communities of color, to restore ecological balance while nourishing whole communities.

Save the Dates! 📅

2025 Federal Policy Briefing in Washington, DC. Feb. 23-26, 2025.

 

2025 Fall Retreat in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico Oct. 19-22, 2025.

EGA is committed to sustaining an impactful community through innovative programming and philanthropic networks acting in partnership with BIack, Indigenous, People of Color, and marginalized communities as a strategic value. As such, EGA’s programming at the 2024 Fall Retreat will be guided by our desire for high-level grantmaking and organizational implementation of our Racial Equity POV.

 

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